NÛPELDA DENİZ

 Makhmour- Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan has been held in an aggravated isolation in Imrali Prison for 25 years and no information has been received from him for 40 months. Kurdish people and their friends have held protests, demonstrations and launched campaigns demanding physical freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and a political solution to the Kurdish question.

 Kurdish people, who have been living in the Makhmour Martyr Rustem Cudi Camp (Makhmour Refugee Camp) since they were displaced from their villages due to war policies of the Turkish state, have been involved in the Kurdish Freedom Movement for 30 years and resisting the conspiracy plans against Abdullah Öcalan for years. They have started hunger strikes, held marches, seminars, workshops and sent letters to the prison island of Imrali, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and the United Nations to demand the physical freedom for Abdullah Öcalan. On July 20, 2023, they started a vigil in the camp to demand the physical freedom of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan. Women of the camp have been resisting in all facets of life since they were forcibly displaced and playing an important role in activities demanding the physical freedom of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan.

For a year, the women of the camp have actively participated in the vigil. Xanê Benek has become a symbol of the vigil by participating in the vigil for a year despite her advanced age.

An alternate vigil

Groups consisting of 10-30 people have held the alternate vigil. Various activities have been held at the vigil; seminars, screening of documentaries, discussions about the life of Abdullah Öcalan and the isolation imposed on him and the resistance of the PKK guerillas and special war policies against the Kurdish people. The residents of the camp often visit the vigil to support it. After five days, each group issues a press statement and turns over the vigil to the next group. Women visiting the vigil sing songs to cheer the group members up. The members of the Stêra Zêrin, TEV-ÇAND and Makhmour Young Women’s Movement participate in the vigil by holding artistic activities. On February 13, 2024, a 3-day hunger strike was held in the camp on the anniversary of the international conspiracy against Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan.

NuJINHA spoke to Kerîma Kanat, member of the Vigil Committee, about the vigil, which has been held for a year in the camp.

 ‘We have no more tolerance’

 

At the beginning of her speech, she pointed to the aggravated isolation imposed on Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan and said, “Our leader has been held in the prison island of Imrali for 25 years and we have received no information about him for about four years. As the Kurdish people, we have no more tolerance to the isolation imposed on him. The vigil that we started in the Makhmour refugee camp against the isolation imposed on leader Apo has been held for a year. The women and young people participate in all activities held in the camp demanding the physical freedom of leader Apo. For a year, the people of the camp have listened to the speeches of leader Apo, watched the films telling his life and read his books.”

 Call on the CPT

The women and young people of the camp lead the vigil, Kerîma Kanat noted. “Our goal is to ensure the freedom of leader Apo. Today, women have their rights and identity thanks to leader Apo. As the displaced people of the Makhmour refugee camp, we call on the CPT to fulfill its duties and responsibilities regarding our leader. And we call on the Kurdish people to support Abdullah Öcalan and the freedom fighters and take a strong stand against the attacks.”